


Feel Better Love

by Spare_Parts_Bud



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Chance Meetings, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Hozier, Kinda, Love, Post-Canon, Romance, can't stop karen page, curtis is the best, curtis ships it, karen gets drugged, kastle - Freeform, post tps2, tps2 fix it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:28:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23903866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spare_Parts_Bud/pseuds/Spare_Parts_Bud
Summary: Karen is drugged while meeting with an informant. She finds help in a church from a nice man named Curtis who happens to have a mutual friend that may be interested to hear about her situation.
Relationships: Frank Castle & Karen Page, Frank Castle/Karen Page, frank castle and karen page
Comments: 25
Kudos: 128





	Feel Better Love

_And I've never loved a darker blue_

_Than the darkness I have known in you, own from you_

_You, whose heart would sing of anarchy_

_You would laugh at meanings, guarantees, so beautifully_

_When our truth is burned from history_

_By those who figured justice in fond memory, witness me_

_Like fire weeping from a cedar tree_

_Know that my love would burn with me_

_We'll live eternally_

_'Cause there's no better love_

_That beckons above me, there's no better love_

_That ever has loved me, there's no better love_

_So darling, feel better love_

_'Cause there's no better love_

_That's laid beside me, there's no better love_

_That justifies me, there's no better love_

_So darling, darling, feel better love_

_Feel better love_

**_No Better Love - Hozier_ **

  
  


Karen staggered as she continued down the street, feeling more drunk than she had ever been in her entire life. The problem was, she only had tea. Which means, the informant she had met for dinner must have put something in her drink. She focused on walking as straight as she could but her heels felt ten times taller than normal and the street lights were nearly blinding her in the dusk of early evening. 

When she stumbled into some railing, Karen glanced up to see that she was outside of a church. It wasn’t the most ideal but it was safer than her staying on the street for the creep to catch up to her so she made her way clumsily up the stairs and pushed through the doors.

She shuffled down the hallway, clutching her bag and did her best to stand straight. Glancing behind her to be sure she hadn’t been followed inside, Karen didn’t see the man stepping out of the meeting room to her left and nearly toppled them both over when she strode right into him. As if she wasn’t disoriented and mortified enough, she noticed the man moving stiffly on one leg, his pants riding up at the ankle to show a prosthetic.

_Just great Karen, get yourself drugged, hide in a church and then knock over a one legged man. You are really on your game tonight._

“My god, I am so sorry!” She reached out to steady him but only ended up stumbling into the wall, bracing herself there and trying hard not to sound drunk.

The man had recovered quickly and gave her a concerned once over before smiling warmly, his voice was soft and sincere when he spoke, “No worries, ma’am, I’ve had much bigger people that weren’t nearly as pretty as you try to knock me over so no harm done.” 

Karen smiled at him from her secure place against the wall and for a second she thought she saw recognition flash across his features. It was replaced once more with concern when she swayed despite the support from the wall.

“Ma’am, are you alright? Do you need anything?”

She tried to wave him off but she ended up just watching her own hand as it blurred in front of her. _That’s probably not good._

“Actually, I am just feeling a little dizzy, nothing too serious, just a little too much to drink I think!” She gave what she hoped was a convincing light laugh, “Do you maybe have a quiet place I can just sit down for a few moments, um...?”

“Curtis. My name is Curtis Hoyle. You can just call me Curt though” He reached out to shake her hand with a bright smile and smoothly tucked her hand into the crook of his arm as he guided her slowly towards the end of the hallway, “There is an office back here with a couch you can rest on until you are feeling a bit better. Do you have anyone you would like me to call?”

She was eternally grateful for his assistance, it allowed her to focus more on what she was saying, “I’m Karen Page, it’s very nice to meet you Curt. And no, thank you, I’ll be fine in a few minutes. I hope I’m not intruding on anything for you.”

The concern returned to Curt’s face when she swayed despite his assistance, “Not at all, I just finished cleaning up after the Vet support group and was just going to do some paperwork, you’re not putting me out at all.”

It felt like eons before they reached the office and he was helping her settle onto the small couch. She meant to thank him again but her lips wouldn’t cooperate and her eyes slid shut the minute she sank into the couch, all thought fading into blackness.

\---

Curt stood over the couch that held a very drugged Karen Page, thinking hastily about what his next step should be. He had been alarmed at how quickly she lost consciousness and quickly checked her vitals, always grateful for his medical training in situations like this. Judging by her behavior and his quick exam, it looked like she had potentially been roofied. 

So now, he had to decide: did he call an ambulance...or someone he knew would be concerned about her? She wasn’t in danger and her attempts to play it off insinuated she did not want to go to a hospital. 

Sighing, Curt stepped into the corner and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number that he called often but was rarely answered. He hoped this would be one of those rare times. As luck would have it, a tired, grizzled voice filtered through the line after the fourth ring.

“Hey, Curt.”

“Hey, Frank, how’re you doin’?” He always asked but he always knew the answer.

“Livin’ the dream. You?” If it was possible, he sounded even more tired, Curt ached for his friend.

“I’m doin’ alright man but hey, I have a bit of a situation here at the church.” He could hear Frank straightening on the other end of the line, feeling his awareness and focus honing in.

His voice was more alert, instantly ready for battle, “Everything alright? You’re not hurt? Someone there causing trouble?”

Despite himself, Curt gave a little chuckle, “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. No one is causing any issues, besides, I can be my own bouncer if need be.” He paused for a second, not really sure how to broach the subject. “It’s just that, I’ve got Karen Page on a sofa here, unconscious. I think she may have been drugged.”

For a second, Curt thought that maybe he had misunderstood Frank’s relationship with Karen. There was complete silence on the other end of the line. Until there wasn’t. There was a flurry of sound suddenly, a jacket being pulled on, keys jangling, a slamming door and Frank’s agitated breathing in his ear.

“Is she alright? Do you know who did it?” Frank’s voice was a mix of burning rage and fear.

“Yes, she is fine. I checked her over when she passed out and her vitals are good. I think she will just need to sleep it off. I don’t know who did it, she was trying to play it off when she got here so I don’t really know what the situation is.”

Curt heard an engine starting before Frank growled out, “I’ll be there in 15 minutes,” and the line went dead.

\---

Karen woke with a start. The room was still spinning and she was dangerously close to hurling all over...wherever she was. Things were coming back to her in flashes and it took her a moment to process that someone was holding her gently and an achingly familiar voice was speaking soothingly to her.

She leaned towards the deep voice that was filled with smoke and honey until she realized, that voice shouldn’t be there.

With a jerk, Karen flinched back as if she had been burned, Frank’s face swimming into focus. “Frank? What the hell are you doing here?”

A quiet voice spoke up from a chair to her left, “That would be my fault ma’am.” She glanced over at...Curt, that’s what his name was, with confusion, “I was a medic in the military, it looks like you may have been roofied. The way you were talking, it didn’t seem like you wanted to go to the hospital. I wasn’t sure who I should contact but I knew you and Frank were acquainted, so I tried him.” Despite her sluggish brain, it was hard for Karen to miss the glint in Curt’s eye when he said ‘acquainted’.

Warmth and drowsiness distracted her follow up questions and it took her a moment to realize that she had sunk back into Frank and his arm had settled protectively around her. When she looked up at him she saw his concern and all of the questions in his eyes so she straightened as best she could and put her focus back on Curt.

“Right. Of course, yes. We are _acquainted._ ” She hoped that didn’t sound too bitter. “Um, so how do you all know each other?” Her vision was swimming again and she had to grip the arm of the couch to keep herself upright.

It was Frank who answered that, his voice impossibly deep and comforting and it took all of her effort not to lean into him again, “We served together in Iraq. He was the best medic out there.” His eyes were on her as he spoke, taking in how she swayed and fidgeted.

Karen rolled her eyes, as best she could anyway without making her dizziness and nausea worse, “I would walk into the one fucking church in this whole damn city that has someone you know. Someone who really _knows_ you. You know, with all the moodiness and killing bad guys and stuff.” She made finger guns for a second before she realized what she was doing and dropped her hands quickly, mumbling, “That is just my fucking luck.”

Frank looked like he wanted to be amused but also looked like he wanted to ask a million questions. His hand had settled near her as though he wanted to be as close as possible to assist if needed. Him being so close but not quite touching her, even if that was by her own choice, was making the hand closest to him ache with the need to close the distance. She had worried about him, missed him and the way he was looking at her, like maybe he had missed her too was making her weepy. And that made her angry.

Karen’s anger, towards Frank, herself, the sleazeball that drugged her and this whole situation in general gave her the momentary focus and drive to pull herself from the couch. Curt and Frank both stood to attention immediately, ready to catch her if she went down. She swayed for a moment, taking a few deep breaths to gather her bearings then turned to Frank.

“Thank you for checking on me Frank, I’m fine though. You can go back to,” She gestured vaguely at him, “whatever it is you are doing now.”

She heard him click his tongue as she turned away and then his hand was wrapped lightly around her wrist, making her turn back, “C’mon, Karen don’t do that. What the hell is going on?”

Karen had to close her eyes and pretend his skin wasn’t burning her for a moment before she slowly opened them again to glare at him defiantly. “I’m fine, Frank.”

Cursing, Frank shook his head, his voice dripping with sarcasm when he finally said, “You’re fine? Is that right? That’s why you were hiding out in a church after being _drugged?_ ” His eyes roamed her face, his voice turning serious, “You on a dangerous case or something? Where the hell is Murdock?”

Oh he just had to go there, didn’t he? Snapping her wrist out of his hand, Karen was proud she didn’t lose her footing. She took a couple steps back from him, vaguely acknowledging Curt behind her with a hand out to brace her. Her head was starting to pound and her anger was only doing so much to fight off the dizziness blurring her vision.

“For your information,” She hissed at him through her teeth, “He doesn’t have a say in how I do my job and believe it or not, neither do you!” Why he had to bring up Matt every time they met was beyond her but she was completely over it. She was already miserable enough, she didn’t need Frank to rip her heart apart even more. She just wanted to be home, in her own bed, licking her wounds and trying to pretend this day didn't happen.

Turning once more, she is determined to get to the door, she managed to get a little closer before she hears him moving too and he is trying again.

“Karen-” he starts

“What, Frank?” She snaps and whips around trying to ignore how it made her vision swim and stares him down. “What is it?”

He returns her stare with a full scowl, his voice low and full of gravel, “You gonna tell me what’s going on? What happened?”

Karen narrows her eyes at him, partially out of exasperation but also because she can’t seem to focus, whatever she had been given was making it increasingly difficult for her to stay conscious. She takes a deep breath, shrugs a shoulder and says simply, “No.”

There’s a small noise to the side and when she glances over Curt had a hand over his mouth and was trying desperately not to look amused.

Frank glares at him for a split second before his attention is back on Karen, his gaze is softening a bit, “Karen, what happened? Please.”

 _Oh, goddamn him._ He knew how to wield that word against her with incredible effectiveness. But not today. Today she was too tired, too heartsick and far too drugged. 

Her voice remained hard, eyes never leaving his, “No, Frank. You told me I couldn’t be involved in your shit. That means, you don’t get to be involved in mine. You made that call, not me.” She hoped her voice cracking was only in her head but judging by his flinch and the guilt that crossed his features, it was audible. _Damnit._

She stared at him for a second more before she turned to Curt, he had been looking between them with great interest but his eyes settled on her when she addressed him, “Thank you, Curt. I appreciate you letting me rest for a few, I feel much better.” That was a lie, she was feeling worse than ever and judging by his concerned face, she didn’t look any better either.

“No worries, Ma’am, I’m glad I could help but…” He gave her a quick once over, trying to figure out the best way to proceed, “are you sure you are alright to leave? You are still pretty pale and seem a little unsteady. As a medic, I would feel better if you rested a bit more here.”

Karen gave Curt her best smile, both reveling in and trying not to feel guilty about ignoring Frank as he fidgeted to her right, “Yes, I’m fine. I’m just going to catch a cab back to my apartment and rest. Thank you again.” She gave Frank one more lingering look, trying not to be sucked into the bottomless chocolate brown of his eyes, and turned to leave. She made it about two steps before her world started spinning and everything suddenly went black,

\---

Frank reached her first, catching her before her head hit the ground but only just barely. Curt was right behind him, instantly checking her vitals. For a moment Curtis was worried that Karen was starting to convulse since he was feeling small tremors through her wrist where he was monitoring her heart rate. It didn’t make sense though, her vitals were strong and breathing was regular. Her pupils were sluggish but that was to be expected with roofies. 

However, when he glanced at Frank, he realized it was Frank that was shaking, not Karen. His friend was nearly as pale as the woman in his arms and his eyes were wild as he stared down at her, one arm braced around her shoulders while his other hand brushed hair out of her face.

“Frank.” Curt tried to keep his voice soft but when there was no response he tried again, a bit more firm, “ _Frank._ ” This time Frank’s eyes snapped back into focus and he turned to meet his eyes. “She’s alright. She needs rest and fluids. My car is out back and my apartment isn’t far from here, we can take her there and I can monitor her until she is strong enough to go home. Okay?”

It took a moment but finally the fog cleared mostly from his vision and he was giving a short nod, “Yeah. Yeah...that would probably be best, thanks Curt.” he said, his voice was smaller than Curtis had heard in a long time.

“No need for thanks, c’mon, let’s get her where she can be somewhere more comfortable than a church office floor.” He clapped Frank on the shoulder and stood, his friend following suit, holding Karen tightly to his chest. It didn’t take long for them to load into the car, Curtis in the front, Frank in the back, unwilling to leave Karen by herself.

Curtis glanced at the rear view mirror a couple of times during the short trip to his home and each time Frank’s eyes were fixed on her face where it rested on his thigh, reverence and concern clear in every line of his features.

Shaking his head and returning focus to the road, Curt had every intention of giving Frank the third degree when this was all said and done. What idiot would push away such a beautiful, smart, tenacious and strong woman, that obviously cares and wants to be there? A woman that knew all of your incredibly dark and terrible secrets and still wanted you? The idiot in his back seat of course. He turned on to his street and found a close spot. Once Karen was settled, he had a lot he wanted to say to his friend. 

\--

Karen woke with a groaning curse, covering her eyes pitifully. Her head was throbbing and she felt like she had a diet of cotton balls and sand for the past 24 hours. For a terrifying instant she was transported back to another time she had been drugged and jerked to a sitting position, she didn’t recognize her surroundings and began gasping quietly. 

“Hey, hey, it’s alright. You’re at my apartment. We figured this would be a bit more secure than the church.” A soft hand rested on her forearm and Karen glanced over to see Curt with a stethoscope around his neck and a reassuring smile on his lips. Her breathing slowed at his easy smile. She could completely believe he was a wonderful medic, he had a gift for making someone feel at ease in shitty situations. His hand left her arm to grab a glass of water and pass it to her slowly. “Here, water will help, you’re probably pretty dehydrated at this point.”

She was taking a careful sip as he said this and looked at him over the rim of her glass with dread, her voice was hoarse when she spoke, “I threw up everywhere didn’t I?”

His smile turned sympathetic, “I wouldn’t say everywhere. I think you missed parts of the bathroom sink and a few towels.” He laughed quietly when she moaned pitifully. “I’m kidding, mostly anyway. You didn’t really make a mess but you probably don’t have much of anything left in your system. So drink that slowly and here in a little bit we can try some solids.”

“You got it doc.” She gave him a small smile, “Thank you Mr. Hoyle, really. You didn’t have to do all of this for me.”

Curt looked at her knowingly before his expression turned a touch sad. There was a soft snore from the other room and he looked over his shoulder for a moment before answering quietly, “Honesty, I didn’t do it just for you.” When her eyes skittered away from his, that knowing smirk returned, “You know, you two are a lot alike.”

Karen was indignant. She wanted to snap at him because that was ridiculous but he had been very kind to her and was currently helping her recover from being drugged so she bit into her bottom lip and took a drink instead.

He must have seen it in her face though because he chuckled and continued, “You’re both headstrong, insist on handling things your own way and have a general disregard for your own health and safety. It’s no wonder he worries so much about you, you give him a taste of his own medicine.”

Scoffing at that, Karen put her glass of water carefully on the nightstand and sat herself more fully against the headboard. Her words were biting when she could finally get them past the lump in her throat. “He doesn’t get to worry about me. He was very clear about what he did and didn’t want the last time we spoke.”

Curt was nodding, understanding clear on his features. “Frank...he says a lot of things to keep people away since he lost Maria and the kids. He doesn’t think he’s strong enough to survive another loss like that, if it happened.”

Karen’s heart constricted at the mention of Frank’s family, guilt making the tips of her ears turn red. “I must sound incredibly selfish, throwing a tantrum after he has lost so much.”

“Absolutely not. He lost everything but that doesn’t mean he can’t keep living. That he can’t have people around that care about him. People that _he_ cares about. You hold him accountable for his actions, which is something he needs.” He gives her a conspiring wink, “Believe it or not, most people aren’t brave enough to do that for him. From what I’ve heard, you have given him a lot of himself back.” His eyes were patient as he watched her process his words.

Clearing her throat, Karen tried not to let his words warm her a bit. “Well, either way, Frank made it clear he didn’t want this…” she stumbled on her words, “...me, and he doesn’t lie to me. I can’t make him want it and the last thing I want to do is cause him more suffering.”

Sitting back in his chair, Curtis regarded her carefully, thinking about his words before he finally spoke, “Here’s the thing with Frank, he doesn’t lie to people but he is really good at lying to himself. As long as he can tell himself he’s doing right by you, he can say what needs to be said. He’s kinda got a one track mind when it comes to protecting people he cares about. All I know is that he sat with you the whole time in the bathroom, wouldn’t leave your side, kept asking me questions like _he_ was the trained medic in the room, not me.” Shaking his head with a smile, Curt dropped his voice as if he were telling Karen a secret,“I had to make him leave this room to rest and get out of my way. I haven’t seen him look that lost in awhile”

Before Karen could respond, they both glanced at the cracked bedroom door when they heard movement coming from, what Karen assumed, was the living room.

\---

Frank came awake with a rough shake. He felt sweat on his brow and couldn’t quite draw a full breath, his dream so vivid he could still feel her blood, sticky on his hands and in between his fingers. He gave a quiet curse, sitting up and rubbing a rough hand over his face. It wasn’t the first nightmare he’d ever had starring Karen Page but the parallels this one had with the reality of the previous night left him shaken. 

He’d done what Curt had asked and got some rest, if he could really call what little bit of tossing and turning he got, rest. He wanted to see how Karen was doing, the nightmare leaving him with an intense need to see her breathing and not covered in blood, As Frank got closer to the guest bedroom he heard soft voices and he felt his heart jump at the prospect of her being awake. 

Pushing the door the rest of the way open, the first thing he saw was Curt’s smug face shortly followed by Karen’s wide clear blue eyes and he was able to take in his first real, full breath since he saw her on the couch last night.

Curt stood, stepping around the chair to stand next to Frank, “I’m gonna go get some shut eye. He looked over his shoulder at Karen, “More fluids, please Ms. Page. I promise it will help!” He gave Frank a pointed look and then stepped out, closing the door behind him. 

Frank recognized that look, he got it from Curt a lot, especially over the past 8 hours. Flashes of their conversation went through his mind:

_“So you’re telling me, you’re gonna make sure she is okay, get her home safe and all that...then just let things go back to the way they were. Like you weren’t out of your goddamn mind worrying about her?” Curt had that look he got when he felt like Frank was being especially stupid._

_“Yeah, Curt. That’s what I’m gonna do. I’ve told you a thousand times, I’m not going to risk her. I’m just not.” Frank snapped before lowering his voice again to keep from waking Karen. He was exhausted, on edge and tired of repeating himself. The knife wound at his hip being rubbed repeatedly by his pants wasn’t helping his temper either._

_Curt gave a snort, gesturing to Karen curled up around a pillow on the small bed, “You’re right, she seems like she leads a really tame lifestyle, the only way she would ever be in danger is if you were around.” There was that, ‘You’re a real idiot’ look. “Let’s call it like it is, you’re scared.”_

_Frank tapped a rhythm on his thigh, trying not to completely lose his temper. He owed too much to Curt to do that. He also knew that Curt wasn’t going to let up anytime soon so he may as well stop trying to avoid the real conversation. Glancing at Karen to reassure himself that she was in fact breathing, he watched her chest rise and fall for a minute before he said, “Yeah, Curt. Yeah I am. When I lost Maria and the kids, I just gave up. I took out who I thought was responsible and then planned on rotting in prison or dying, whichever came first. Then this blonde hurricane came bustin’ into my hospital room, telling me to get my head outta my ass while shoving a picture of my family in my face.” He gave a small laugh at the memory. She was all defiance and no fear, he had chased her through that very hospital with a shotgun and there she was, trying to save him. What was left of him anyway._

_Curt was chuckling with him but didn’t say anything, just waiting patiently for him to continue._

_“Karen, she...she went over every detail of every file with me until all the facts were out there. I never would have known what really happened to my family if it wasn’t for her. Then, she trusted me even after I used her as bait, killed a man in front of her, t-boned her car, killed another man in front of her and then she helped me find Micro when he had me so spooked. I mean, Christ, she let me use her as a human shield to get away from the police.” He still remembered how sick he felt holding that gun to her chin, loaded or not._

_Leveling Frank with a stare, there was laughter in Curt’s voice, “I think, this is a prime example of what kids these days call ‘ride or die’ Frank. She knows your secrets, she’s seen you at your worst and she still accepts you. She knows what you do at night and still wants to be a part of your life. Is it that you don’t feel the same for her?”_

_Frank shook his head violently, “No, no of course that’s not i-..”_

_“Then what is it Frank? So few people get a second chance to find someone that really knows them and genuinely cares about them, so what is it?” Curt said._

_His eyes returned to Karen, she had finally settled enough to get some actual rest and the lines of pain and exhaustion in her face had smoothed out. Even pale and sick he couldn’t fathom how someone so beautiful would want anything to do with him. Finally, his voice tired, “Cause she doesn’t deserve that Curt. She deserves someone who can give her a normal life. A safe life, one where she doesn’t have to look over her shoulder for criminals trying to get back at me.” Curt opened his mouth to argue but Frank cut him off, “And I don’t know if I could take it.” A confused look from Curt, “The only reason I survived Maria and the kids was because of her. If I let myself have her and then I lose her too, I don’t know if I would survive. Or worse, I don’t know that this city would cause I’d either die or burn this whole place to the ground to figure out who did it.”_

_Curt regarded him carefully, his face an impassive mask, not giving away his thoughts. Finally he asked, “Alright, you keep your distance from Karen, keep your bullshit away from her but one of her cases goes sideways and she dies. Is it gonna hurt you any less knowing that it was her bullshit that did it, not yours? You’ll be able to shrug it off cause, hey, wasn’t your fault. Is that it?”_

_“‘Course not. What the fuck kinda question is that?” Frank was agitated, his anger finally boiling to the surface._

_Curt was unaffected by Frank’s ire. “Then it’s more to protect you than it is to protect her. Which is fine, I can’t and won’t judge you for that Frank. You lost more than any one person should have to lose. But let’s call it what it is, no bullshit. It’s more about keeping her at a distance to protect yourself, in case something happens to her than it is protecting her from what you do.”_

_They settled into silence after that, Curt standing to check on Karen and Frank lost in that revelation._

Shaking his head to clear the memory, he took the chair and leaned his forearms on the bed, not quite meeting Karen’s eyes. 

“How’re you feeling? You need me to get you anything?” He finally looked up to see her watching him with those eyes that never miss a detail, those eyes that always see through his bullshit.

Karen gave him a small smile and laid her head back against the pillow, “I’m fine right now, Curt is very thorough.” He was glad her voice sounded clear and strong, once she had regained some consciousness last night she was nearly incoherent, when she wasn’t violently retching.

“Yeah, Curt is the best at what he does, he’ll have you back to 100% in no time.” He said.

She lifted her head, biting nervously at her bottom lip, glancing away before meeting his eyes again, “So um...sorry you had to witness all of the ugliness last night. I’m sure that was not a pleasant experience.”

Frank narrowed his eyes for a second trying to understand her meaning but when he realized what she was talking about he shook his head and grabbed her hand, warming it between his own, “You don’t apologize for that. I’d do it all again if you needed me to, don’t ever apologize for what some shitbag has done to you.” 

Karen gave him a faint smile, one full of gratitude and affection, squeezing his hand in return.

They both sat in silence for a while, they never really needed words, it was enough to be in each other’s presence. But eventually Frank dared to ask the question that had been eating at him since last night.

“Karen,” his voice was low and serious but still gentle, she opened her eyes to look at him, “What happened yesterday?”

Sighing, she began to stroke his hand with her thumb, she looked resigned, like she fully anticipated this conversation was going to happen. When she finally spoke, it was quiet and matter of fact, “I had dinner with an informant for a case we are working on. He has been paramount to the case so far and had been nothing but polite and cooperative so when he asked to meet at a restaurant to discuss things over dinner, it didn’t seem unreasonable.” Anger crept into her features. “Halfway through though, I could tell he had some ulterior motives so I wrapped it up as quickly and as professionally as I could. It wasn’t until after I left the restaurant that I started to feel off.” 

She looked at Frank imploringly, “I was alert the whole time, I never let my drink or food out of my sight. Never went to the bathroom or even left the table. I have no idea when he could have tampered with my drink.”

He felt the rage burning in his guts, the idea that someone would betray her trust so easily when she was going out of her way to help them making him itch to find the man. Then he felt sick at the prospect of what could have happened if Karen wasn’t so capable. He wanted to ask her who the man was but he knew she wouldn’t tell him. Instead he ran a soothing hand up and down her forearm while she continued.

“I’m not sure where to go from here. We still need him for the case but I kinda want to shoot him in the dick.” She smirked when he let out a bark of laughter despite his anger.

God she was perfect.

Sobering, she tucked some hair that had escaped behind her ear. “I guess I am going to have to talk to Foggy and Matt about that. They can deal with him until the trial is over and then maybe I can press charges from there.” Karen looked at him and saw his scowl. “No Frank, you may as well be screaming your intentions, as loud as you are thinking right now. I don’t want you going after him.”

“Karen, he could have hurt you. Christ, who knows how long he has been drugging women if he was able to get something past you like that. He shouldn’t be on the streets.” He said, voice low and urgent. He didn’t want to argue with her but he also couldn’t see himself letting the man live.

“You’re right, Frank, he shouldn’t be and I will take care of that but I don’t want you going after him, guns blazing when nothing actually happened to me. I mean it.” She gave his hand a light shake and held his stare, his scowl having no effect on her whatsoever. 

Clenching his teeth, Frank sat back releasing her hand for just a moment so he could pass her the water on the nightstand. He gave her a begrudging nod as she drank, “We will agree to disagree for now.”

Karen cracked a smile at him, “Was that an almost concession from Frank Castle? I really must be in rough shape if you are letting me off the hook that easily.”

Frank felt himself smiling, he and Karen didn’t often have a chance for banter and it was a nice change of pace to their usual life or death situations. “Well don’t get used to it, you ain’t off the hook yet, we are going to discuss it later.”

Her smile dimmed but her full lips were still tipped up at the corners as she regarded him. “Will we?” The question was so quiet Frank wondered for a moment if he had heard something at all.

“Will we what?” he asked.

“Discuss it later.” The emphasis she put on ‘later’ left no room for confusion on what she meant. She wasn’t just talking about their current conversation, she was giving him another chance to accept her offer from that awful day at the hospital.

For a moment, Frank was at a loss. He was still scared, he didn’t know what the right answer was or if there even was one. He looked up to see Karen watching him, her expression carefully blank as he took his time to answer. Curt’s words kept echoing in his head. His friend was right, whether Karen was in his life or not, it wouldn’t hurt any less if she died. He reached for her hand again, marvelling at how smooth her skin was and watching her pulse jump in her wrist.

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat as that one simple word seemed to lift a weight from his chest, “Yeah, we will be talking about it later.” 

\---

Several hours later found Karen taking Frank’s hand as he helped her out of his truck when they arrived at her apartment. She had called Foggy and Matt to let them know what happened, yes she was okay, no she hadn’t been to the police station, yes they can talk about it more later. Curt had finally given her the all clear after she was able to keep crackers and soup in her system as well as instructions to see her doctor if she didn't feel normal in a couple of days.

She thanked him profusely as Frank guided her to the door with a hand to the small of her back, shaking Curt’s hand as he went, promising to consider coming to another meeting soon. To say she felt good was an incredible overstatement but Karen was feeling much better than the previous night and after her conversation with Frank this morning, her mood was improving by the minute. 

When they finally reached her door, she was winded, leaning heavily into Frank as he opened her door with the keys she had passed to him in the truck. He let her hold his hand while she kicked her shoes off since her balance still wasn’t one hundred percent and Karen tried not to think too hard about how perfectly her hand fit in his. 

Frank hadn’t said much on the trip but she felt him glancing at her more than once to assure himself she hadn’t keeled over in the seat. His shoulders seemed to relax considerably once they were in the apartment with the doors locked and her tucked comfortably on the couch. Before Karen could say much of anything he had plopped her on her own couch, covered her with the closest blanket and made sure the remote was in her reach before he went to the kitchen to dig through her refrigerator.

Karen started to get up to see what he was doing but he shook his head at her when he noticed. “What are you doing in my kitchen, Frank?”

He was surveying what he had laid out on the counter with a thoughtful frown and when he answered her, his voice was low and careful. “I was going to make you an actual meal that wasn’t just crackers but there isn’t much for me to work with here.”

His voice was like warm honey and if she didn’t feel like total garbage she would really want her hands on him. Honestly, she still did want her hands on him but she figured it would be better to be more than 24 hours out from being drugged before pushing that particular boundary. She had the decency to look sheepish, both for the less than impure thoughts that were invading her mind and for the sorry state of her fridge. “Haven’t been to the store in awhile, didn’t realize I was going to have a personal chef, sorry about that.”

He gave her a lopsided smile as he scrounged for a pan and utensils, “It’s alright as long as you're good with just scrambled eggs and toast for dinner.”

“Fine by me, any other night it would have been a glass of wine and take out so scrambled eggs works for me.” She turned the tv on but found she preferred watching Frank moving around her kitchen, filling up her space. She felt an almost physical ache as she memorized his broad shoulders as they flexed and moved while he whisked the eggs, his strong jaw as he muttered to himself while looking for the seasonings he wanted to use and his dark eyes as he met her gaze from time to time, she could swear she saw longing there. Seeing Frank, just be Frank without the weight of the world on his shoulders, if even for just a moment made her heart soar. 

It didn’t take him long to finish and he was settling into the couch next to her, handing off her plate. She gave him a quiet ‘thank you’ before taking a tentative bite. It was really good. Frank laughed at her wide eyed stare when she took another, larger bite.

“Didn’t think I could do it? That little faith in me, huh?” he asked.

She felt her cheeks turning pink as she swallowed another bite, “I kind of imagined you survived on tuna packets and food straight out of the can.”

He scoffed, picking at his own eggs, “I can do that if I have to. That’s mostly what I survived on once I found David Lieberman in his hideout. If I have the choice though, a home cooked meal is always the way to go. Or pizza, I never turn down pizza.”

“Well, you shouldn’t have shown your hand so easy Castle, now I want to see what all you have in your repertoire.” She gave him a sly smile and took a bite of her toast.

Frank chewed thoughtfully on his bite of eggs, watching her. When he responded it was just a simple, quiet, “I can do that.” That warmed her all the way to her toes.

The rest of their meal was quiet, they occasionally made comments or laughed at the inaccuracies of the crime drama they were watching and before long both plates were on her coffee table along with an empty glass of water by her. Having eaten something substantial for the first time all day, Karen felt her eyes drifting shut, the warmth from her blanket and a full belly lulling her to sleep.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she scooted closer to the end of the couch so she could tuck her feet up against the arm and lay her head in Frank’s lap. She felt him tense for just a second before his hand came to rest on her arm, running his thumb back and forth over her skin through the blanket. Karen wanted to soak this up as much as she could but she was asleep in less than a minute.

She isn’t sure how long she was out but by the time Frank was shaking her gently awake, it was completely dark outside and a new show was on the tv.

Frank’s voice was hoarse, like he had maybe dozed off as well, “Hey, you should get in bed, you’ll be more comfortable there.” His voice took on a nervous edge, like he was about to overstep a boundary, “I was going to stay here, on the couch, just to be sure you don’t need anything else. If that is alright with you.”

Karen had sat up and was blinking owlishly at him, he looked adorably rumpled, his shirt creased and bunched up where it had ridden up while they slept and his eyes were hooded. He still looked exhausted.

She gave a jaw cracking yawn behind her hand and said, “No.” 

Frank’s eyes widened a fraction but he gave a quick nod and made to get up. He didn’t get far before she caught his shoulder, forcing him around gently so she could gently press her lips to his. Unlike the rest of him, his lips were soft and she let out a contented sigh to _finally_ know what it was like to kiss Frank Castle.

She had meant it to be short and sweet but before she could comprehend, both of them were opening their lips, the long fingers on one of his hands had tangled in her hair and her hands were firmly on either side of his jaw. He was making the most delicious hungry noises in the back of his throat that were making her shiver.

All too soon though, he pulled back, resting his forehead to hers. They both were breathing heavily and leaning into each other until she finally leaned back to look him in the eyes.

She sounded breathless, even to her own ears, “What I meant was, you aren’t sleeping on the couch. I can attest that it isn’t all that comfortable. You are welcome to stay here as long as you want,” she caressed his jaw gently before rubbing a thumb over his swollen bottom lip, “but you are going to sleep in the bed.”

Frank pressed a kiss to the pad of her thumb before saying, his voice a low rumble, “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

Smiling, she gingerly stood and waited for him to follow her. While he used the bathroom, Karen changed into her favorite loose fitting tank and sleeping shorts and climbed under the blankets. When Frank emerged from the bathroom he was just in his jeans and it nearly gave her heart palpitations. His chest was smooth, punctuated with scars and he was all sharp lines and contrast when his muscles moved.

If he noticed her openly ogling him, he didn’t say so, just stripped off his jeans and climbed into bed in just boxer briefs. Karen wasted no time, scooting closer to him so she could rest her head on his shoulder and run her hand lightly over his abdomen. She delighted in feeling his muscles tense and jump under her fingers but too soon he was grabbing her fingers, pressing them to his lips and then laying her hand over his chest where he covered it with his own.

Frank’s voice was rough and she shivered when she felt it reverberating through her hand, “You need to rest. It’s been a rough couple of days for you. You’ll feel better tomorrow.”

She really wanted to argue with him, to test this new thing that was happening between them. To enjoy being close to him, being able to feel his skin while it isn’t covered in blood and bruises. It was a novel experience and she wanted to soak up every second of it.

At the same time though, it was hard to reconcile the fact that he was here, in her apartment, laying in her bed, when two days ago she didn’t know for sure if he was alive or dead. They definitely had a lot of things to work out but she was finding it harder and harder to keep her eyes open. Damn drugs, she hoped tomorrow she could stay awake longer than a couple of hours at a time.

She hummed against his chest, laying a gentle kiss to the skin she could reach, reveling in the way his breath hitched, “You’re right. I need to be well rested so we can have that ‘later’ conversation. Don’t think I didn’t see you eyeballing my files to see if you could catch the name of the informant. I’m onto you Castle.” Her words were starting to slur and she was vaguely aware of his chest shaking with a quiet chuckle. 

A quiet, “Yes ma’am,” was the last thing she heard before she drifted off with his thumb rubbing soothing circles into her wrist and his heart beating steadily in her ear.

**Author's Note:**

> We were robbed by the fact that Curtis and Karen didn't meet. I could 100% see Curt watching these two argue and just whispering "Now Kiss". Or maybe that is me. ANYWAY, I think he would ship them. And I think Karen and Curt would gang up on Frank in a second and become the best of friends.
> 
> Yet another shorter fic that has distracted me from the main one I am working on but I am still making progress so I think it is okay!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


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